And Now We
by HexZeroRouge
Summary: Sequel to my Many a Far Tear. AmarantFreya, PaineRikku. Third chapter up! I'm back into writing again...
1. The Introduction

-1"And Now We…" (The Rat and the Giant)

Just a background on the story you are reading. This story, tentatively titled "And Now We…" is the sequel to my first fanfic I submitted to The first story is titled "Many a Far Tear", and if you haven't read it all yet…DO SO NOW! …With that said, I'd like to tell you a little bit about the original.

I've been interested in writing for a long time, but hadn't had the guts to post anything. Eventually, after a conversation with my room mate I started writing an Amarant/Freya story. It started out with the lame title of "Our Favorite Visitor" and was really a simple crossover story, but quickly grew up out from under me! I was proud of myself, to say the least. So I changed the title to "Many a Far Tear", which is an anagram of "Amarant, Freya".

You may ask why make a sequel now? Well, the first one ended how I wanted. It was the first _half_. It was more about the physical and metaphorical distance separating the two. In the end, they come together and Amarant "comes over himself". This ends the first part. Now that they are together, this second part will cover their _cooperation _to solve Amarant's problems.

I should have the first chapter out by the end of the week. I'm having some personal…things at the moment.

Anyway, wish me luck!


	2. The Morning

-1With a groan, Amarant Coral stirs from his slumber. He rolls over and looks at the large window to see it's a bright and sunny day, not a rainy day to his surprise. At a desk nearby said window Freya Crescent is sitting hunched over. With a hum she sways her tail lazily as words come from the tip of her quill and into an empty book. As he tumbles out of the canopy bed, it lurches in relief.

"What're you writing?" he asks from behind her.

"Oh. I'm just writing in my diary." she replies without turning from her work, "You sound like you got a good sleep."

"Yeah. I sure haven't slept in a bed this nice in quite some time. Probably…since the wedding I'm guessing."

"Well, I slept _very_ well last night." she says as she gently closes the tome and turns to face him with a smile.

"I could certainly get used to this…" he says, returning the expression.

**Knock, knock**

"Miss Freya, I brought you some breakfast." a voice calls from the other side of the oak door.

"Come in, Emma."

With a click the door turns and lets the young maid pushing a cart into the room. But before she can travel a yard, she stops dead in her tracks in drops her jaw.

"I…err…Uhh…umm…" she mouths, completely flabbergasted.

"This is just Amarant Coral, he's my…friend." Freya comforts as she heads toward the girl.

"Lover." Amarant corrects, causing a blush from Freya as well as Emma.

"Umm…ok…I'm going to get some more food." Emma whimpers, staring at the massive chest of the shirtless human. She scuttles out of the room hurriedly, trying her very hardest to shake any impure thoughts about her mistress.

Freya picks up a piece of toast from the silver tray and spreads some boysenberry jam on it. With a glance at Amarant, she takes a bite. _Oh, I'm going to get you for embarrassing me! _she thinks to her little self.

"So, what is this _lovers_ business, sweetie?", she says as she moves one of the straps of her nightgown off of her shoulder, "We aren't _lovers_ until we _make_ love…"

"Uhh…I haven't taken my morning piss yet!" he shouts, running into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

Freya lets out a hard laugh as she reaches for the tea.

**END CHAPTER 1**

A/N: I just wrote a small chapter to get me back into writing again. I still haven't made a real title for this story yet, any suggestions? Oh well, I got to get to class. Leave me a comment please on your thoughts! If you haven't read the first story you are probably _really_ confused! Read it again! I think I might re-read it (it's like 61 pages) and make a few corrections here and there…


	3. The Night

-1A/N: Hey there everybody! When was the last update? I've been very, very busy. Well…honestly I haven't been doing much of anything. I was just with my lovely girlfriend all summer for the most part, or working at a local radio station as per my internship for college (which I'm back at college at the moment). So to be frank, my computer sat in the basement all summer and yes there is some kind of fungus/mold growing on it. Anyway!…on with the story. (Finally)

Yuna stirred in her sleep. A toss and a turn, and another cycle of happening to her. Nightmares had befallen the poor maiden this night, concerning mostly the grisly tale told to her by Tromell. The image of demonic eyes and the poor fate of Amarant tormenting her made her erupt into this world. With a loud a huff she awoke.

Looking all around the dimly lit bedroom area, she found her gasp didn't seem to disturb anyone. Well, at least at first. She looked to her right and saw her blonde cousin sprawled out, hanging with all limbs this way and that over the mattress. Yuna let herself take enjoyment in this, in spite of herself. As she sat up she noticed that the first bed in the room was currently vacant. 'Paine must be in the bathroom, I'm guessing.' the young sphere-hunter thought to herself, 'and not a bad idea. I must shake these dreadful images from my mind, if I want to get any winks in.'. Slipping on her fuzzy blue slippers, Yuna shuffled across the room with a yawn and through the privacy curtain.

The curtain was recently installed, you see. Although, it was usually blatantly obvious when someone opened the elevator door to the bar/bedroom area, Brother had managed to sneak in on night. The only thing he got a peak at was Paine's fist. And it was a close peak at that. So it was done and Paine could sleep easier once again. Well, she had though that Shinra might try to hide a camera in here with his budding puberty starting to blossom…but she dismissed it quickly. He's never been interested in anything but technology, she had mused. Hell, if he ever gets curious, I'm she he could build his own girlfriend.

Speaking of sleeping easy, Paine was not doing that at the moment. She was sitting right down in her pajamas on the commode, quite a wreck. Her only saving grace being that she had taken off her makeup earlier when she was getting ready for bed, knowing well she would not see much sleep. "At least I'm not dripping mascara all over my favorite pajamas." She whispered to herself. With that she let out a muffled sob.

These lovely silk garments were a gift from her unrequited love on her last birthday. 'You said you'd always wear black as long as you can see what you are wearing….soooo I got you these pretty white jammies! If your eyes are closed, your rule doesn't matter!' the rambunctious thief had told her. And Paine did love them a lot! The beautiful ivory color on the already pale girl was actually a surprisingly good match. The similar tones made her look like a magnificent spirit and the simple floral patterns sewn into the fabric was the perfect touch, along with the sky blue trim. Apart from being lovely, it was very comfortable as well, as Paine much enjoyed. It offered the feeling of sleeping in the nude with the safety of not actually being in such a state of dress if Brother came crashing down through the air-duct (which the warrior was certain would happen eventually). Another feature was that it was pretty much see-through in dim lighting, which she had wondered if Rikku ever noticed…

Deprived of her lightning quick senses while in her personal little stupor, Paine hadn't noticed that Yuna had come downstairs and was heading down the hallway towards the water closet. There was a light rap at the door that snapped her back into reality.

"Paine? Are you in there?" a sweet voice whispered through the portal.

Paine froze in her misery.

"…Barkeep?" Yuna questioned almost expecting the ever-loyal servant to appear behind her and scare the crap out of her.

"No…no…it's me…Paine…" she answered back, pathetically softly.

"Paine? Are you all right?" Yuna questioned her sniveling friend. Any concerns of her previous problems left her as she focused in on Paine's concerns.

"…"

"…"

"…I'll be out in a second…"

Paine tried to collect herself for a minute by the door before pushing the open button. Her finger hovered over the green toggle as she waited, and she thought she would be able to cover her feelings (as usual). But as the door opened and she saw the worried look on her friend's face, the façade was over. Paine collapsed in Yuna's ready arms.

"What's the matter, Paine?" Yuna whispered to her fellow Gullwing.

Only a quiet sob was returned on her shoulder. Yuna thought of how strong the girl in her arms normally was, and how that strong exterior only serves to bottle her emotions up. And now the bottle was finally opened.

"Can…sniff…can we talk, Yuna?" she whispered into her ear, still holding on tight.

"Of course we can!" Yuna said, looking the upset woman in the eyes. The crying slowed and then stopped as the two popped a squat in the hallway with their backs to the cold steel walls.

A silence was starting to linger. The brown haired girl decided to break it.

"Sooo…what's on your mind, my friend?"

"Oh…nothing really…" Paine mumbled.

"Mmm-hmm…Well let me guess then. Hmm…

Paine sighed. 'How can I tell her without really telling her?' she pondered, 'I can't just come out and tell her I'm bonkers about her cousin. Her GIRL cousin.'

"Are you worried about something?"

"No, it's not that. Not really."

"Well, are you afraid of what we might find in Guadosalam?"

"Me? Afraid?". Paine flashed a smile to Yuna, who was glad to see it in the dim light.

"Hey! That is why I got up…but never mind me…umm…let's see. You're not worried. You're not scared. So it most be romance!" she said by counting her fingers, ending with a fist in her open palm.

GULP

"Oh, Paine! You were crying for an unrequited love, am I right?"

Paine tried to reply some how. But failed miserably.

"Well, I just will not stand for this great injustice! You deserve happiness just like any good-hearted person! I will not rest until this wrong is righted!" Yuna exclaimed with faux valor.

"Uhh…have you been wearing the Knight dressphere for too long again?".

They both let out a giggle.

"Hehehe…anyway, sweetie. Is it someone I know?"

Paine turned pale. Well, paler. She stared, wide-eyed, right at her best friend.

"Yes!" Paine squeaked, but couldn't manage another word.

"Ooo, let me guess who it is!"


	4. The Challenges

-1MEANWHILE, (on the other side of the multiverse)

Amarant took long drag from his water skin. It was growing to be hot day, not that he minded. All that seemed to be on his mind was his joy in being 'back in the game', so to speak. He had already felled ten or so monsters, with out breaking a sweat. "Monsters" is a pretty broad term, but to most it meant anything hostile with intelligence less than a Qu. So he had taken down a few orcs. He still hated them as much as ever.

"Maybe I'm the real monster here…I know I enjoy the sound of cracking bones more than I should…" he thought to himself. There was not a mark on him yet out here in the mountains around Burmencia. As he finished the liquid, the giant set his mind back to why he was here.

"So…we need to go into the wild and retrieve something. I need it." Freya spoke, matter-o-factly. She set down her empty cup beside her also empty plate. Having finished a nice lunch with her love in the garden, the dragoon got right down business. Well, she could have much earlier when Amarant was asking about questions about his plane shifting research, but she still loved to tease and torment him.

"And this will help me, I'm guessing." he replied "What are we retrieving?"

"A dragon's egg. It's not breeding season at the moment, but we don't need it to be. The females lay an unfertilized one around this time each month. Like a chicken."

'That would be death for mere mortals, treading in dragon territory.' Amarant said as he stood up and gathered the dishes. 'That reminds me though…that was a great tasting chicken sandwich. Almost too good…'

And is if by magic, Amarant spotted the culprit through the lust green plants. None other than Quina Quen had appeared out of thin air, which was always the case. Being the last to join the merry little band, he never really knew too much about the strange creature. Well, he never really cared considering the chef was great in a fight (which was much to his surprise). And still it stood there with the almost unblinking stare and constant grin.

'Friends! You like food me cook you!?' Quina exclaimed.

"Qu…Quina!?" Freya replied, completely baffled.

"Frey! Me so happy see you! Me travel long way, find more yummy yummies on travel. Quina work master chef at pretty castle now, know you? Me hear Zidane talk 'bout you, tell Queen you sad, sad troubled. So…me come cook you tasty cock-a-doodle-doo! You like, me hope?" s/he babbled on, rocking back and forth. Some people talk with their hands, but Quina talks with it's hands _and_ it's tongue!

"Yes, yes! It was wonderful. I missed your cooking." Freya spoke, still in shock.

"Me so happy! And me find new ideas for wedding. Me try hardest last wedding, but me not happy with how cake turn out. Cake too small. Me ate little king and queen on top. Me no mean to…No this time, though. Me find big eggs in mountain. Yummy yum. Me eat dragon too. Big egg make big, big, bigger cake…But, me eat too many eggs! Me must get more soon…"

Freya frowned at Amarant, who was just standing there scratching his beard. His thoughts split between giving his beard a trim and how annoying Quina is.

"Well…we will have more of a challenge now, Amarant. Won't we?" she was grinning very mischievously which was starting to unnerve Mr. Coral.

"Me must go now! Must cook royal din-din! Make more yummy yummies for King and Queen and whole castle and everyone…" Quina spoke, squeezing itself in content, "Me see you next month for wedding. You enjoy, me promise. Me search high and low for good goody yum food and spices!"

With that Quina reached into it's beautifully embroidered robe and pulled out a bell and started to ring it. The bell was crinkled around the edges and an scummy green colored. It's ring was a half clank, half tinkle and half ribbit. Quina looked into the distance where a low buzzing sound was growing louder and louder. The other two as well as a few nearby gardeners looked up, completely bamboozled, as a giant dragonfly landed by the amphibious chef/mage and flexed it's mother of pearl wings. The Qu climbed into the scaly leather and settled down into it. Everyone in the garden was baffled by the giant insect, but became even more amazed as the 5,000 eyed mount was actually able to carry the sumo sized humanoid.

"Bye-bye!" s/he spoke, hovering 5 feet from the ground.

"Farewell, Quina." Freya said. Amarant didn't say a thing.

They all watched as the odd shape faded into the distance before speaking again.

"Well, at any rate…this is going to be quite a challenge now. Hmm…let's have a little fun with this, shall we?" Freya said to her companion as her grin returned.

"You know what? That grin freaks me out more than what just happened here." the ninja replied as a servant came and take the plates he had gathered up.

"Oh, you're no fun anymore."

"I never was any fun."

"Oh that's just not true, my dear! You are fun to tease."

"So are you…skinny-ass rat."

The lady dragoon just smiled and hugged him very, very tightly. "You say the sweetest things…you big oaf."

"Anyway," she sent on, letting her embrace unwind, "How about the first one to find and egg wins a favor from the other."

"…….Uhh….."

"Oh. Don't worry! I won't make you do anything too terrible."

"Ok…but stop with that damn grin…"

Freya just laughed. And laughed.

"Umm…wait just a second!" Paine exclaimed, squeezing Yuna's dainty hand, "Let's…umm. Let's not take guesses now!"

"Oh, you're no fun anymore." Yuna frowned. "But…please go ahead and tell me everything, my friend."

Paine looked down at her hand being held and back at her friend.

"Well…I've-"

"Wait, is he cute. Oh I bet he's _really_ handsome!" Yuna interrupted.

"Sh…err…they are! Now, just let me finish! Anyway…I've know them for quite, some time now Yuna. And at first I only saw them as my friend, not as someone I could really _be_ with. I mean they aren't exactly my type. But…as time went on I thought just of how sweet they are. And so positive! I mean…I'm not really the most optimistic person in the world. Well, I am more of a realist. Sh…they have just changed everything for me. And I think that they might like me too…but it's so very hard to tell!"

"Wow…this sounds so complex!" Yuna said to her, "Have you been in love before this?"

"Well, I have dated casually here and there. There was one guy though…we were starting to get serious and I was in love with him. But…he, well, he cheated on me with one of my friends. But I'm so much more in love now! It's different…I am just scared of being rejected, of what they'll think of me for telling them." Paine looked down and let a tear fall.

"Is that really what it is? You said he's close to you and that he might like you too. Are you just scared of being in a relationship and being hurt again?"

"It's not that, Yuna. I know _she_ would never hurt me!"

"…Sh…she!?" she squeaked in reply.

Paine realized what she blurted out. She had been pretty good with hiding her love's sex, but now was waiting for Yuna to run and call her a monster. With a sob, the warrior started to wait for the inevitable.

"Paine, please don't cry!" Yuna began, rubbing her back gently, "I'm surprised, but I don't care. I just want you to be happy. I don't hate you!"

sniff

"Really? You…you don't think I'm a freak? I…I can't help how a feel! I don't think people really chose who they fall in love with…"

"I agree with you Paine…but I don't feel the same way about you, I'm sorry. I'm already in love with someone and I just want to be your friend…"

"Yuna…it's not you…" Paine replied, looking up at her concerned friend.

"Oh…OH! Rikku!" Yuna gasped.

Paine just nodded over and over in the darkness.

"Shit." Amarant cursed aloud to no one. "Thanks a lot Quina, I love all these dragon egg shells you left here. You know, I'm surprised you didn't eat the shells…"

Amarant stomped the remnants under his massive boot and surveyed the area once again. Not an intact orb in sight, and no angry draconic matron either. He wasn't sure which lack he hated more, but he knew well the battle lust was growing inside of him like a volcano ready to erupt. As he leaned against a nearby rock chugging from his leather water-skin, there was a sudden smell of smoke and sulfur in the air. The scent intoxicated his senses and his mind became focused as he mentally prepared for battle.

Around the bend of the mountain path, the angry mother dragon charged. She let out a loud roar as she came and the ground shook beneath her. Amarant stood like the calm before the storm, ready to lash out instantly. When the air around his aura was disrupted, the monk leapt back from the claw swipe and brought his right fist back to ready his own strike. With all of his strength, he lunged forward and down, impaling the beast's left hand clean through.

"No focus at all, just rage!" he spoke to the beast as he pulled his claw out and tumbled away from the dragon.

The dragon screamed in pain and let a thunderbolt rip out from it's body. The bolt arced out from it's massive scaled back and straight into Amarant's chest. The massive blast hardly phased the hardy warrior, who only laughed at his own pain. A sensation which he hadn't felt in a long time. The dragon (not being completely mindless), was baffled at why the strange creature wasn't dead for a moment, but quickly remembered why she was enraged and started to take in a deep breath.

'So, you want to compare blasts?' he thought to himself as he began to focus his chi. Like fast moving coils over his body, the energy gathered where he willed it. It became visible between his massive hands and he charged it until the last possible second.

The ball of pure energy shot out from the ninja's hands as the dragon simultaneously let loose it's breath weapon. They convened halfway between the opponents, quite suddenly and violently. The sphere was too powerful and cut through the stream like paper and even dissipated the fiery spark as it hurdled on. It struck the beast right in it's open mouth in a massive explosion. Flesh and bone were disintegrated on contact with the orb, which continued on and exploded on the mountain side.

The headless monster's body collapsed with a thunderous thud on the rocky ground. Blood spurted from the decapitated stalk as it fell along side. Amarant dusted himself off and took another swig.

"You…you like Rikku?" Yuna yelped, going pale.

Paine just kept nodding and nodding, as if in a trance.

"P…Paine?"

"…Wha?" the warrior replied, as if she were just awoken.

"You like Rikku. My…my cousin!?"

"Yes. Now, I should start packing my things. I really had fun with the Gullwings…but I understand how you feel…I'm sorry." Paine whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

"Paine! I'm not mad at you! I don't want you to leave…."

"You…sniff…you don't hate me? You don't think I'm a freak?"

"Of course not! You're my friend and you always will be…I'm sorry, I was just a little shocked at first. I don't have any problem with your lifestyle or anything…"

"But, I'm not a lesbian! I've always liked guys, but it's just that everything changed when I got to know Rikku…She makes me so happy. I can't help who I love!" Paine shouted, perhaps too loud. She listened to Rikku mumble in her sleep for a moment before starting her snoring engine again.

"Paine…I don't know what to say. I really want to help you…but I don't really know how she feels about _you_. I know she respects you greatly and loves your friendship…I just don't want to see her reject you or hate you." Yuna pondered, "You have to be careful, Paine. But you have my help and my confidence. I promise!"

"Thanks Yuna…you are too kind."

"I know. I can't help it! Hahaha…" she replied as she helped Paine up, "Now, let's get back to sleep. yawn We'll make a game plan tomorrow…"


End file.
